Chemical substances are extensively used in all kinds of industries especially in chemical industries. Raw materials like oil, natural gas, air, water, metals and non-metals take new shape when they are treated with chemical substances. Statistical data shows that nearly eighty percent of the total industry’s output comprises of polymers and plastics specifically polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polycarbonate. From simple consumer goods to complex mechanical tools used in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors - all require chemical substances. Even, chemical industries consume one forth part of total chemical products.

There are mainly two types of chemical substances - inorganic and organic. Inorganic chemical substances come under mainly of three distinctive categories - liquid, solid and gaseous. Industrial ammonia, nitrogen, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid are among the very popular inorganic chemicals which are needed for manufacturing different kinds of compounds of utmost necessity.

Organic substances, which are commonly used for making industrial products comprise of industrial acrylo-nitre, phenol, ethylene oxide, and urea. These products have multiple usages in our day-to-day life. Among the ceramic products, silica brick and frit are used for manufacturing different kinds of items. Petrochemicals like benzene, ethylene, and styrene are necessary liquefying organic agents and they are utilized as solute.

Agrochemical products like fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides have brought a revolution in the agricultural industry. With proper application of these products we can easily grow crops in huge quantity even in odd time of the year. Polymers, polyethylene, Bakelite, polyester, polyisoprene, neoprene, and polyurethane are also some important chemicals which are used in different industries for manufacturing products of daily needs.

Oleo-chemicals lard, soybean oil even stearic acid are mixed with other ingredients to produce cooking oils. To manufacture explosives, it is essential to use nitroglycerin, ammonium nitrate, and nitrocellulose. On the other hand, flavors like benzyl benzoate, coumarin, and vanillin are extensively used in different type of fragrances and scents. The pharmaceutical industry is considered as a chemical industry, which include petroleum, glass, paint, ink, sealant, adhesive, and food processing manufacturers.

Processing of Chemicals

Chemical processes are very common in chemical plants. This process is followed to manufacture substances with the help of chemical products and the reaction is carried out in big vessels. Corrosive resistive equipments are used for carrying out chemical products; it is because they can bear exorbitant heat and pressure that evolves out at the time of chemical reactions.

Chemical reaction comprises of some special techniques like distillation especially fractional distillation, precipitation, crystallization, absorption, filtration, sublimation, and drying. Special tests and observation have to be carried out at the time of chemical reactions. Chemical companies often have a research and development laboratory for developing and testing products and processes.

Chemicals Products Consumption

Statistical data says that the European Union and the United States consume maximum amount of chemical products every year and they are also the world’s largest producers of chemical products. Some of the remarkable chemical producers worldwide are BASF, Dow, Shell, Bayer, INEOS, Exxon-Mobil, DuPont, and Mitsubishi, along with thousands of smaller firms. There are more than one hundred and seventy major chemical companies and they operate internationally with more than 2800 facilities out side the United States and 1700 foreign subsidiaries.

Chemical industry is also the second largest industry that consumes maximum energy and increases nearly $5 billion annually on pollution abatement. Germany is the giant producer of chemical, plastics and rubber and together they generate about 3.2 million jobs in more than fifty thousand companies. The chemical sector alone accounts for nearly twelve percent of the EU manufacturing industry’s added value.

Chemical industries are concentrated in three areas of the world - Western Europe, North America and Japan. The European community claims the highest spot followed by the USA and Japan. To meet the increasing demand of chemical products, several countries have started producing chemical products. A steady growth of chemical industries is found in China, India, Korea, the Middle East, South East Asia, Nigeria, Trinidad, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela and Indonesia in the last decade.

There is a patent for chemical products for preserving eggs according to US Pat. 1019614 - Filed Sep 23, 1911. Organic chemical products are patented under US Pat. 2319094 - Filed May 31, 1941. This invention particularly relates organic chemicals more specifically to quinines. Similarly for almost all chemical products there is a patent right and the owner or rather the inventor possess that right until he wishes to sell them to another person or organization. Some of the chemical substances, which are used in destructive wars, are extremely poisonous and they are capable of bringing permanent damage in human life.

Major Chemical Producers & Markets

Today, in different parts of the world, the need for chemical product is increasing and to cope up with that demand, different companies located in different corners of the world are manufacturing chemicals or chemical products. Some of the world’s largest producers of chemical products are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Japan, China, India, Australia, Canada and others. With the latest technology and expertise, all these countries have improved considerably. Continuous up-gradation is going on in every sphere of chemical industries so that they can produce best product at the end of the day.

India is not too far behind other companies regarding manufacturing of chemicals. There are hundreds of chemical industries in India, who have contributed extensively for the growth of Indian economy. Some of the renowned chemical companies are Swati Chemical Industries, Makwell Plastisizers Pvt. Ltd., Siel Ltd., Prabhat Trading & Manufacturing Company Pvt. Ltd., Hindusthan Heavy Chemicals Ltd, Kesoram Industries Ltd., Solaris Chemtech Ltd, A Thapar Group Company and more.
U.S. Chemical Manufacturers

The United States is the leading producer of chemicals in the world. There are a number of manufacturing units in the United States like Mech-Chem Associates, Inc., Air Products & Chemical, Inc., Corporate Headquarters, Mallinckrodt, Inc., Mil-Spec Industries Corp, Corco Chemical Corp., Vertex Chemical Corp., Kanto Corp., Exaxol Chemical Corp., Black Swan Manufacturing Co., Olin Corp., Ashland, Div. Of Ashland Inc., Fire Ingredients Div., Dow Chemical U.S.A., North Industrial Chemicals Inc and more.

Apart from all these countries, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and other European Union countries are also major manufacturers of chemical products. All these companies are helping to reduce the huge demand of chemical products in the world and they are also upgrading quality of products using latest technology and know-how.